Liverpool’s New Era Under Andoni Iraola: Injury Challenges Ahead
Liverpool’s new era under Andoni Iraola begins with a trip into the noise and heat of St James’ Park – and it starts with a headache.
The Spaniard’s first Premier League game in charge comes with a lengthy absentee list and no chance yet to properly gauge his full squad. That theme, frustratingly for him, rolls straight into opening weekend.
Iraola’s injury list bites early
Liverpool could be without as many as six players for the clash with Newcastle United, with several of them already written off as long-term concerns.
- Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni all remain unavailable after serious issues suffered last season. None of them have been in contention in pre-season, and none will be seen any time soon.
- Bradley is not expected back until 2027.
- Ekitike is still ruled out for months.
- Leoni should return earlier than that pair but is still likely to spend close to a year on the sidelines after his ACL injury last September.
The problems don’t stop there. Joe Gomez is also out and is not expected to feature until next month. Iraola had already shut the door on any surprise early comeback, admitting during pre-season it would be “impossible” for the defender to make the start of the new campaign after his muscle injury.
So Liverpool head to Tyneside patched up, with their new coach still waiting to see the full picture of the squad he has inherited.
Isak fit to travel as Iraola leans on his star
Amid the absences, there is at least one key positive for Iraola: Alexander Isak is on the plane.
The striker’s fitness has been a talking point after issues last season, and Iraola has been clear he must be carefully managed. But the signs, for now, are encouraging.
“Right now I think he is in a very good place, he's been training every day,” Iraola said in his press conference. “He hasn't missed a training session, he's adding more and more minutes in every friendly game.
“I think that he already played a very good World Cup in terms of availability, fitness level. I want to keep him there as much as we can because we know his level and if we can keep him there, he will score the goals, he will give us a lot of things.”
With so many others missing, that sounds less like a hope and more like a necessity. Liverpool’s new boss will lean heavily on the Swede’s sharpness and rhythm as he looks for a statement start in one of the division’s most hostile arenas.
Jaissle’s own problems at Newcastle
On the opposite bench, Matthias Jaissle is also feeling the strain of a first Premier League weekend without a full hand to play.
Newcastle have already been hit hard in midfield this summer, losing Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Now Joelinton is out as well.
“For sure out for a couple of weeks but I don't want to go too much in detail as there will always be specialists involved,” Jaissle explained. “The medical department is aware of it, we have top staff when it comes to that and I am really confident he will be back as soon as possible.”
It leaves the Magpies short of power and presence in the centre of the pitch, just as a new manager tries to stamp his ideas on a side that has already been reshaped.
The bad news doesn’t end there. Tino Livramento, who saw his World Cup hopes wrecked by a training-ground injury in the United States, will not be risked either.
“For sure, too early [to return against Liverpool],” Jaissle said. “He had just one training where he was partially involved.
“So we need to be smart with his progress now. We can't wait until he is 100% ready. He has huge potential and I love him.”
A bruised start for two new regimes
So the season opens with two ambitious projects already feeling the strain. Iraola and Jaissle both step into the Premier League spotlight with key players missing, patched-up plans and big expectations swirling around them.
St James’ Park will not wait. Nor will the table. How quickly these two new managers navigate their first test under pressure may tell us plenty about where their seasons are really heading.
